First Mic

Ira Cross
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A show where comics talk about their first time on stage.

  1. He Flew to New York for a Girl. He Came Back a Comedian | Murph Henderson

    -4 дн.

    He Flew to New York for a Girl. He Came Back a Comedian | Murph Henderson

    Murph Henderson flew to New York to do his first stand-up set — and to see a girl. She said no, he never got on stage, and Columbus comedy won. Back home, his actual first open mic happened at Shrunken Head, right before the legendary Columbus venue closed for good. The first laugh hit like a drug he didn't know he needed — and the self-described nervous guy who takes his shoes off to feel grounded found the one room where the feeling that everyone is watching you is finally accurate. Ira Cross sits down with the barefoot, 5'4", voice-of-God comedian to talk the shoeless brand (it's not the bit you think), running the Savor Pint open mic where a wave of young Columbus comics got their start, choosing this career over every relationship he's ever had, and why Richard Pryor is the tree modern stand-up grew from. And if you've ever wondered how to deal with hecklers at a comedy show, Murph's answer is a keeper: put them down softly enough that the room stays with you, let them feel like part of the show for a beat, then pull the attention back to yourself — and never get dragged into a back-and-forth. First Mic is the podcast where comedians tell the story of their first time on stage, filmed at Rehab Tavern in Columbus, Ohio. Comics: where was YOUR first open mic — and is the venue still standing? Tell us in the comments. 🎙️ Follow Murph Henderson: Instagram: @unklemurph Facebook: Murph Henderson (he says "Murf Henderson" on camera at ~48:00 — confirm the profile's exact spelling before publish; see Flags #2) 🔗 First Mic is part of the Indie Comedy Collective: YouTube: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: @indiecomedycollective

    54 мин.
  2. I Was 17 and Had to Bring My Mom to Do Stand-Up | Henry Allen

    25 июн.

    I Was 17 and Had to Bring My Mom to Do Stand-Up | Henry Allen

    Henry Allen brought his mom to his first open mic — because at 17, he wasn't old enough to get into the club. It did not go smoothly. Sixteen years later, Henry sits down with Ira Cross at Rehab Tavern to tell the whole story: the Bo Burnham special that convinced him to start at 17, the bottle of Smartwater that turned his mom into a tornado at the host stand, and the legendary opening line he completely froze on — "Hi, my name's Henry." He digs into why he thinks the secret to comedy isn't years, it's reps ("your third joke is from 13 years ago"), the accidental 2.5-hour set he once pulled off, and how to shut a heckler down before they can swing back. Then he closes the whole thing by crying on command over the dumbest possible thing. One of our funniest sit-downs yet — equal parts origin story and full-contact roast. (Sorry, Jesse.) 🎙️ Follow Henry Allen: [IG handle — confirm with Henry; he said he runs everything through Instagram] 🔗 Follow First Mic: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective | IG @indiecomedycollective 📍 Recorded at Rehab Tavern, Columbus OH 💬 What's the most nervous you've ever been before doing something for the first time? Drop it below.

    44 мин.
  3. Why & How Comics should use AI | Barak Lesner

    18 июн.

    Why & How Comics should use AI | Barak Lesner

    Barak Lesner moved to Columbus with three outfits in a garbage bag. Today he co-runs The Attic Comedy Club, has five kids and a mortgage, and a blunt message for anyone starting out: you suck — and that's exactly the point. In this episode of First Mic, Barak takes Ira back to his real first set in 2013 — a two-minute open mic in Gainesville, Florida, on his 25th birthday, the same night Ray Allen hit that shot for the Heat. He talks growing up poor in a Spanish-speaking household in NYC, the culture shock of Milwaukee, and how a dare from Terrance "the God Show" ("show up or I'm telling everyone you're a p***y") finally pushed him onto a Columbus stage. From there it's the real stuff: why the version of you five years from now should look back and cringe, the unglamorous power of running the same joke 89 times, his genuinely unpopular take on using AI as a creative partner, and the Michael Jackson impersonator who changed how he thinks about talent vs. opportunity. Plus: how he and Neff Johnson rebuilt the Wednesday open mic at The Attic, the right way to handle a heckler, and why he's still mad at Threads. 💬 What's the best — or worst — advice you ever got when you were starting something new? Drop it below. 🎙️ Follow Barak Lesner: Instagram: @barackfromtheblock (he said "Barack From The Block" — verify exact handle) The Attic Comedy Club: theatticcomedy.com 🔗 First Mic is part of the Indie Comedy Collective: YouTube: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: @indiecomedycollective 📍 Filmed at Rehab Tavern, Columbus OH

    44 мин.
  4. Heckled by 10 Comedians at Her First Open Mic — She Didn't Quit | Caitlin Menosky

    11 июн.

    Heckled by 10 Comedians at Her First Open Mic — She Didn't Quit | Caitlin Menosky

    Caitlin Menosky's first Columbus open mic went about as badly as it can go — only woman on the lineup, put up last, and heckled through her whole set by a room full of comedians she'd never met. One comic's apology afterward is the reason she didn't quit. Now she's headlining 45 minutes and building toward an hour.   Caitlin sits down with Ira Cross at Rehab Tavern to talk about memorizing Jim Gaffigan specials as a kid, bombing in front of parents' weekend at a Catholic university, why "polite but firm" beats coming out swinging on hecklers, doing a show at a literal rest stop, and why it takes less than two hours to find out if comedy is for you.   First Mic is the show where comics tell the story of their first time on stage. New episodes weekly.   FOLLOW CAITLIN Instagram: https://instagram.com/caitlintwois TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@caitlin.comedy YouTube: @CaitlinMenosky Facebook: Caitlin Menosky   CATCH HER LIVE Hot Girl Summer at Hashtag Comedy — Saturday, June 13   FOLLOW FIRST MIC / INDIE COMEDY COLLECTIVE YouTube: https://youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: https://instagram.com/indiecomedycollective   Recorded at Rehab Tavern, Franklinton — Columbus, OH   CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open 00:37 Caitlin with two i's (read the poster, people) 01:17 Why comedy? A kid who memorized Gaffigan specials 02:18 Everybody used to suck at walking 04:44 Why Columbus? 06:37 Hocking County → Chicago improv → the gap between open mics and Gaffigan 08:04 Advertising into the void: Columbus comedy nobody knows about 09:27 First time on stage: parents' weekend at a Catholic university 11:21 The post-bomb reality check every comic needs 12:02 If you're a megalomaniac and you just started, you're trash 13:24 Advice: sub two hours to try out a dream 16:18 Her first Columbus mic: heckled by the whole lineup (the Ty Moore story) 18:23 How to handle hecklers: polite but firm 21:12 "No, thank you." 21:43 Teacher talk & catch a bubble 23:33 Rapid fire: favorite Columbus comic 24:39 Patton Oswalt and the height dilemma 25:51 Favorite open mic: Hashtag on Fridays 26:43 Could you do an hour? 27:34 Weirdest gig: a rest stop in Western PA 29:17 Social media takes & where to find Caitlin 30:41 Hot Girl Summer at Hashtag — June 13

    32 мин.
  5. The Politest Way to Destroy a Heckler | Dan Sebree

    4 июн.

    The Politest Way to Destroy a Heckler | Dan Sebree

    Dan Sebree has been obsessed with stand-up since he was five years old — but it took watching the finals of a Dayton comedy contest, thinking "I could do this," to actually get on stage. On this episode of First Mic, Dan tells Ira about his very first open mic on January 19, 2014: a full shift at Family Video, a nervous sweat-through-the-shirt entrance at 330 pounds, and the 25 friends and family he packed into the room so he couldn't fully bomb. From there it's the full Dayton-to-Columbus journey — coming up at Wiley's (the oldest comedy club in Ohio), the unkillable legend of a comic named Puke, why he loves bad comedy more than good comedy, opening for some of the best touring acts in the country, coming out as bi, and the kindest, most devastating way he's found to shut down a heckler. Recorded live at Rehab Tavern in Columbus, Ohio. 🎙️ First Mic — where we talk to comics about their first time on stage. ▶️ FOLLOW DAN SEBREE Instagram: @dansebree Threads: @dansebree TikTok: @dansebree Watch his FREE stand-up special "Unfinished Business" on YouTube. ▶️ CATCH DAN LIVE Featuring at Hilarities (Cleveland) — last weekend of May Free outdoor comedy at the Daily Growler with Jessi Sisson — first Friday of every month, May through October ▶️ FOLLOW FIRST MIC Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. New episodes regularly — subscribe so you don't miss one. #FirstMic #DanSebree #StandUpComedy #ColumbusComedy #ComedyPodcast

    39 мин.
  6. She Showed Up for a Speed Date — It Was an Open Mic | Jessi Sisson

    28 мая

    She Showed Up for a Speed Date — It Was an Open Mic | Jessi Sisson

    Jessi Sisson didn't plan to do comedy. She signed up for a speed dating event in Columbus, never saw the email saying it was canceled, and walked in to find an open mic instead. Five years of jokes had been sitting in her phone since one improv class back in Philly — so she went up last, read them off the screen, then ran straight to her car. That was the fall of 2022.   Since then she's bought an amp to start her own mic in the corner of a German Village garage, made the finals of Funniest Person in Columbus a few months in, lost her corporate job, and turned a severance and eight months of unemployment into doing comedy every single day.   In this one, Jessi and Ira get into falling into comedy completely by accident, why Columbus might be the most underrated launchpad in the Midwest, the lifelong trauma of being serenaded with "Country Roads" in every Irish pub on Earth, the time she had to convince a guy from Seattle that West Virginia is in fact a state, and how she keeps accidentally going viral on Threads talking about Bad Bunny and gay hockey instead of, you know, comedy.   Recorded at Rehab Tavern in Franklinton. 456 West Town Street — come hang.   CHAPTERS 00:00 Take a shot every time you hear "West Virginia" 00:43 The speed date that turned into an open mic 03:09 Buy an amp, start your own mic in the corner 03:50 Laid off, a two-month bender, and going all in 05:08 Ask forgiveness, not permission 06:50 A new city every year of her 20s 07:20 What actually brought her to Columbus 10:34 The "aggressive friendliness" of the Midwest 13:33 Why Columbus is geographically perfect 15:43 Appalachian roads: the earth is trying to kill you 18:02 "Country Roads," and is West Virginia even a state? 21:43 Advice for new comics: just do it, one thing at a time 25:39 Favorite Columbus comic: Dan Sebree (in a minion costume) 28:18 Best open mic in the city 29:49 How to handle a heckler 31:03 TikTok, Threads, and going viral by accident 35:00 Where to find Jessi 36:12 Rehab Tavern + outro   FOLLOW JESSI Instagram: @jessisisson Threads: @jessisisson TikTok: @jessisisson6   ABOUT FIRST MIC We talk to comics about their first time on stage. Hosted by Ira Cross. Recorded at Rehab Tavern, Columbus, OH. New episodes weekly.   #FirstMic #ColumbusComedy #StandUpComedy #OpenMic #ComedyPodcast #WestVirginia #ColumbusOhio

    38 мин.
  7. He Studied Bill Cosby on VHS Hundreds of Times | Josh Stovall

    21 мая

    He Studied Bill Cosby on VHS Hundreds of Times | Josh Stovall

    Josh Stovall is a preacher, a comedian, and the kind of guest who'll sip Zinfandel like it's communion and then tell you about the last time he made his mom laugh before she passed six years ago this March. He spent two and a half years writing jokes in his phone before he ever set foot on a stage — and when he finally did, at an open mic at Fours on High in Columbus, the host was so drunk he butchered Josh's name on the way up. Josh killed anyway. In this conversation with host Ira Cross, Josh gets into why he studied Bill Cosby on VHS as a kid (and what We Must Talk About Bill Cosby gets right about him), why Columbus is the perfect place to get your soul bruised before you go anywhere else, and the unhinged way he handles hecklers. There's a tribute to Murf Henderson's feet, a Craftsman sponsorship pitch, a mystery Friday involving five cop cars in Westerville, and one of the cleanest pieces of advice we've had on this show: take notes on everybody — the ones you like and the ones you don't — and be yourself. Filmed at Rehab Tavern in Columbus, Ohio. What's the wildest first open mic story you've ever heard? Drop it in the comments. 🎙️ Follow Josh Stovall: Instagram: @pastorpeace Facebook: Joshua Eric Stovall 🔗 First Mic is part of the Indie Comedy Collective: YouTube: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: @indiecomedycollective ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 — Pastor with the Zinfandel 01:25 — The Last Time He Made His Mom Laugh 02:40 — Jason Banks, Henry Allen, and the Night the Attic Changed His Mind 03:00 — His First Mic at Fours on High (and the Drunk Host Who Couldn't Say His Name) 04:20 — Studying Bill Cosby on VHS, Hundreds of Times 05:33 — "Something Happened on Friday…" 07:11 — The We Must Talk About Bill Cosby Documentary 09:28 — "I Didn't Bomb. Surprisingly." 09:55 — Tyson Colson Is a Comedic AI 12:25 — Why Comedy in Columbus 13:57 — Columbus Will F You Up — In a Good Way 15:48 — All the Ingredients, Nobody Baked the Cake 17:09 — Jesse Sisson Walks In 19:30 — Advice for New Comics: Take Notes, Be Yourself 20:00 — Five Cop Cars in Westerville 22:55 — Favorite Columbus Comic: Murf Henderson 24:30 — Murf's Feet Need a Craftsman Sponsorship 27:25 — Nef Johnson Will Rip Your Soul With Two Words 28:45 — How to Handle a Heckler 30:10 — Fine People Are Insecure Too 33:55 — Least Favorite Social Media: Threads and TikTok 34:30 — Why Facebook Still Wins 36:00 — Where to Find Him + Mom's Ghost Cameos

    38 мин.
  8. Stand-Up in Tokyo on English Night | Janaris Cain

    14 мая

    Stand-Up in Tokyo on English Night | Janaris Cain

    Janaris Cain (@PrincessNaris) thought she was going to dance for Missy Elliott. Instead, the wig got snatched off her head on a Wild 'N Out tour stop, her friends told her she had to do comedy, and she said "f it" and walked into Shrunken Head for her first open mic. She bombed. Then a stranger in the crowd yelled "your booty though," and Janaris took it as the green light to get back into her joke. Since then she's performed in LA, New York, New Orleans, Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, Dayton — and on English night at a comedy club in Tokyo on her birthday trip, where her "big bag of rice" joke about getting comp passes at Universal absolutely killed. She was the only woman on a Mike Epps show at Nationwide Arena, sharing the stage with TK Kirkland, DC Young Fly, Mojo Brooks, and Tony Roberts. She also has thoughts on hecklers — specifically the one in Cincinnati who called her a piggy, and the comeback that shut the table down. Plus: why Sista Lu's open mic at The Attic is the most structured room in the city, the difference between Columbus's community vibe and Chicago's nine-to-five competitiveness, her hot take that Snapchat is "for the cheaters," and what comics need to understand about Instagram being their resume. Janaris is shooting for her first 20–30 minute special by the end of the year. As she put it: "You gotta be delusional when you do this. Or — what's the new term? You gotta be the birthday." 🎙️ Follow Janaris: Instagram: @PrincessNaris Facebook: Janaris Cain 📍 Recorded at Rehab Tavern in Columbus, Ohio.

    32 мин.
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A show where comics talk about their first time on stage.

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  • Автор
    Ira Cross
  • Годы выхода
    2 тыс.
  • Выпуски
    31
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    С ненормативной лексикой
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    © 2025
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    First Mic